‘Yes, you should.’ Her pathetic composure made him feel sorry for her. He wanted to be angry. ‘Why didn’t you come to get me? If you are so sorry, you should have done the job yourself, instead of sending your brother.’
‘I didn’t send him. He went without my consent. It’s no excuse. I should have told you. I am a coward. If only Ingrid had given me more time.’
‘What does Ingrid have to do with it?’
‘She told Ian’s wife, Carmen, about you. She’s the reason Ian knew you existed. But, it’s not her fault. I should have told you when she found you.’
‘You knew she found me and you did nothing. Why didn’t you just tell me the truth? It would have been different then. Now, my life is ruined. I was happy.’
‘What do you mean?’ she asked, agitated. Emily turned to look at him for the first time. ‘Didn’t you choose to come here? What did they do?’
‘Well, where do I start?’ Steven was angry now, in fact, he was livid. ‘They kidnapped my girlfriend, erased my existence, left me homeless and penniless, and then told me I was going to become a killer. What else was I supposed to do?’
With a face of utter horror, she spat, ‘They did what?’
Emily got up and started to pace. She mumbled to herself and fidgeted, as she clasped her hands together. Steven watched and felt bewildered, as his anger subsided. She looked crazy, erratic. Something about the way she acted made him realise there was something not quite right about his mum.
‘I’m so sorry,’ she said, as she stopped and looked at him again. Calm once more.
He could not look at her, so he stared at the floor, ‘Sorry doesn’t help me now, does it?’
‘No, I guess not.’ In a voice stricken with pain, she continued, ‘I know I’m not your idea of a good mother. Just, if you can, try to understand that I left you because I loved you. I never wanted you to have this life. I hoped you would not be like me.’
‘You really are my mother?’ Steven whispered as his anger subsided, ‘it’s so hard to believe.’
‘Again, I’m sorry. Yes, I am your mother.’
Steven did not want to feel any affection for this woman, but her demeanour broke him slightly. He could not even begin to contemplate what she had gone through. He stared blankly and neither spoke for a few minutes.
Footsteps broke the silence. ‘And I’m really your aunt,’ Anna said smiling, as she eased into the balcony. ‘What do you say to some food?’
‘Sure,’ Steven agreed.
‘You could go for a swim later?’ Anna gave a cheeky grin.
‘Both sound good,’ Steven replied. If he could swim away from here he’d be glad to go.
Anna put her arm through Emily’s and led her into the room. They looked so alike and yet were so different. Emily looked, well, broken. He had a feeling Anna was the rock.
*
The sound of a waterfall took Steven aback. Nothing was normal here. Anna had led him to the entrance of the bathing area and left him with a set of clean clothes. Through the rock formation, he was face-to-face with the most breathtaking sight he had ever seen. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.
‘Incredible,’ he whistled, in admiration.
The waterfall cascaded from the top left hand corner of the cave into a pool of water that bubbled and frothed in response. To the side of the pool was a huge lake that stretched out for about one hundred metres. It beckoned Steven to swim in it. The only problem was he had no swim suit. Apparently, they didn’t use swim suits. That would take some getting used to. Confident no-one would join him, he started to undress. It was supposed to be empty at this time of day. After he was sure he was alone, he stripped and jumped into the pool. The relief as the water hit his body was immediate.
Just as he was beginning to get comfortable, he heard a splash behind him and was caught unaware. It was too late to make a quick exit. He braced himself, kept calm, and considered his next move. If he swam for the lake he would expose his bare bottom to whoever had joined him. It did not bother him. It just made him falter for a moment.
‘Hey, are you enjoying the water?’ It was a female voice, typical. Worse still, he was sure it was Ingrid. He doubted she would ever take the hint and leave him alone. At least, the visibility underwater was poor, he was camouflaged.
‘I was told no-one swam at this time of day. The last person I expected to see was you,’ he remarked, his tone bitter and disappointed.
‘It’s nice to see you looking more alert.’ She swam breaststroke in his direction.
He kept his eyes in the direction of the waterfall, only too aware of the fact she was getting too close for comfort. As she continued to approach, he said, ‘Is it normal for everyone to swim naked in the same pool?’
‘Yes,’ she said, as she continued her effortless glide, ‘But I had a feeling you’d be here when I saw Anna walking in the other direction, so I thought I’d say hello.’
‘You thought it was a good idea to get into the water at the same time as me, knowing I would be naked?’ He turned to face her. If she was not embarrassed he had no reason to be either. Her tenacity had to be admired.
‘I have been bathing naked with other women all my life. On the odd occasion, I have been in here when men were around, but no-one is bothered. Does it make you uncomfortable?’ she asked, unable to hold back a snigger.
Her expression was flirtatious. Something told him she was not going to give up easily. Her breasts remained hidden under the surface, but his imagination was starting to wander. It had been a while.
He gulped, and continued, ‘Well, if I’m being frank, yes it does. I have never been swimming naked with women, or men for that matter.’
‘Interesting, Adam and Eve have a lot to account for don’t they?’ Her words hung in the air as she nosedived under water and disappeared.
He had no idea what she was up to now, but he did see her behind. It was firm. He looked from side to side trying to figure out where she was. A minute later, she surfaced behind him.
‘Quit playing Ingrid. What do you want?’ Steven snapped. The game had run its course.
‘You,’ she replied, with a straight face, ‘I’ll wait as long as it takes. Have a good swim.’
Steven felt his jaw go slack. He watched her dive again, this time he could not help studying her form. She was very attractive. He could not help reacting. He swam to the side and held on to the rock, before he saw the water break at the entrance. That was one hell of an underwater swim.
He kept his head down and swam over in a fast front crawl. When he got to the entrance Ingrid was already out. She wore a long red dress, soaked from her wet body. It clung to her form, making him take another unwanted gulp.
‘See you around, Steven. I’ll be waiting until you change.’ She waved and gave him a breathtaking smile, a twinkle set in her eyes. Then she was gone.
In response, he sprinted towards the pool. He stopped, slightly out of breath, at the other end. He shook his head and groaned out loud. It was only Ingrid after all – the one responsible for his misery.
He hated being sexually frustrated.
***
Emily paced up and down, anxious to speak to Steven. After Steven had told her what had happened, she had resisted the urge to go and punch Ian’s lights out. Her younger brother took too many liberties. What he had done was unforgivable. Some day she would get her revenge. Footsteps brought her back to reality.
She braced herself and smiled as Steven walked in through the door. ‘How was your swim?’
‘Interesting,’ Steven paused, ‘Although, I have to say, I didn’t realise this place was so liberal.’
‘Liberal? It is many things, liberal is not what I’d call it,’ she scoffed.
‘Ingrid came into the water to join me, naked. I’m sure she knew I was there before she got in. Where I come from, swimming naked with people you barely know is liberal.’
‘Did she?’ Emily gave a wry smile. The thought ha
d crossed her mind already. Ingrid was after Steven. It explained why Ingrid had defied her and told Carmen. ‘Nothing happened did it? You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.’
‘Now you sound like a mother. No, nothing happened.’
‘Don’t trust Ingrid,’ she warned.
With a loud guffaw, he sneered, ‘You don’t need to tell me that. She wanted to kill me. Talking of trust, no-one has told me what happened between my dad and you.’
She avoided the obvious, and said, ‘We had you.’
‘That part I knew,’ he sighed. ‘Seriously, why am I here now? You could have brought me with you when you left my dad. It would have saved me from all of this aggravation.’
It was a stab at her already open wounds.
‘I hoped you would be normal. I didn’t want you to be like us. I never wanted you to live in this circus.’
‘Don’t you like it here? Everyone else seems to think this is the best place in the world.’ Steven’s voice was laced in sarcasm.
‘Its fine,’ she lied. She walked over to a large wooden chair, draped in a thick animal fur, sat down, and covered her face in her hands as she considered her options. She did not know if she could keep up the charade.
Back to Table of Contents
Chapter 30
Back To Being A Student
A few minutes of silence passed as Emily’s throat felt bone dry. It hurt to admit the truth. ‘I was not destined to live here. I was looking forward to an independent life before the attack happened. Did they did tell you about the bats?’
Steven gave a slight nod of the head and stood straight. ‘Yes.’
‘I just wanted to be free from everyone telling me what to do. I wanted a life of my own, away from my parents, away from war. My dad was like a mad scientist. I did not want to be a part of that. All I wanted was a new start. When the attack happened everything went wrong. Now, I was the mad scientist. I was like Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. I had no say anymore. I was trapped in a body I did not want.’ She took a deep breath. ‘When I eventually managed to make my way back home…’
‘To Southampton,’ he interrupted.
‘Yes,’ she snapped. Her calm composure melted. ‘I didn’t want to leave. I fell in love with your dad so I just decided – what the heck – I’m staying. I was due some happiness, I deserved some.’ She stopped and stared at the wall. ‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry about everything.’
‘Then I came along and ruined the dream,’ Steven added, as he dug his hands in his pockets.
‘No, it wasn’t you,’ she gasped. ‘You’re the best thing I ever did.’ She had to fight to keep tears at bay.
‘So what then? Why leave so soon? You could have stayed for a few years.’
‘I couldn’t stay anymore. I would have been discovered. I couldn’t resist,’ she sighed, embarrassed at the admission.
‘Resist? Oh,’ he paused, ‘you were killing people. Is that it?’
‘Yes. When I had you, I thought my heart was going to burst. I was so happy. But, it was short-lived. I knew as soon as I saw you that I had to protect you. The only way I knew how, was by leaving. I–I thought I’d done the right thing,’ she stammered, her resolve crumbling.
‘What about me? Why didn’t you bring me here?’
The look he gave her nearly crippled her composure. ‘Like I said, I hoped you’d be normal.’
His face hardened.
‘Look, I’m not here to mull over the past. We can’t change it. Can you just explain to me what is going to happen and why it’s better that I’m here? That’s what I can’t get my head around. I got over not having my real mother around years ago.’
The comment stung more than she expected.
Emily faked enthusiasm, and smiled, ‘You have to go to school.’
‘School! What do you teach? How to become a vampire?’
His features had softened again as he let out a small, but significant laugh. It made her hope. Perhaps he did not hate her after all.
‘We’re not vampires, but anyway,’ she grinned, ‘you need to know more about our history and what to expect. Call it your preparation. For whatever its worth, you need to know what you are even if you don’t think it’s important.’
Steven’s shoulders slumped, ‘Great, I can’t wait.’
She wanted to talk more but the conversation was over. Another day she would try again. ‘Do you want me to get you some accommodation with the others? I doubt you’ll want to stay with me.’
‘No offence, but, yeah, that would be great.’
The fact he said no offence pleased her. At least he was polite. ‘I’ll take care of it.’
*
Steven frowned at his new accommodation – a tiny room with no natural light, split into four even smaller areas. A single bed, with a pale blue cover, in the corner was his. There was no side light, bedside table or bookcase. It was just the bed. To make matters worse, the three other beds meant company. He slumped on the bed, deflated. The prospect of having a place of his own had vanished.
Earlier, he’d had the pleasure of meeting the grumpy male warden. He failed to remember his name, he exuded no charisma. He didn’t even respond when Emily told him Steven was her son. The introduction of another student, regardless of who they were, obviously held no added thrill. In a dry, monotonous voice, he reeled off the rules to Steven and listed his duties and responsibilities. It had been difficult to pay attention.
Before long, the warden had dumped him in his cell, at least it felt like a prison cell, and left. It was not what he considered a real welcome. His head spun from information overload. In a nutshell, it appeared all adolescents approaching the change were kept together in the final months. All of them were expected to pitch in.
A sense of impending doom swept over him. He never had a set of jobs to do at home. At university, he got by. Housekeeping was not his forte. What a wakeup call. He doubted in a small community like this, there would be any room for slackers. The job he dreaded was the communal area checks. It could only mean one thing. Toilets! Ugh! Even in this community, he doubted it would be any different.
‘You must be Steven,’ said a male voice.
He turned round to find himself face-to-face with a man of his age, with a fair complexion and blond hair. ‘Are you related to Ingrid, by any chance?’
The man gave a crooked smile, and replied, ‘I guess we all look alike, don’t we?’
‘You do have very distinct features. That’s for sure.’
‘I’ve been sent by Emily to show you around. I’m Jensen,’ he held out his hand formally. ‘She thought you could do with a friend.’
Instinctively, Steven held out his hand and gave a firm handshake. If there was one thing boarding school had taught him, it was the importance of a firm handshake. ‘Is that what you are, a friend?’
Jensen dropped his hand, ‘Only if you want one. I’m not going to impose myself on you. I’m just showing you around as a favour. But, we are sharing this room, so, it’s not a bad idea to try to get along. I know this is all new to you, but it’s not really my problem. You might as well get used to it.’
‘Fair enough, I don’t need your sympathy.’
Jensen turned away from him, ‘Let’s go.’
Steven noticed the dress code involved a lot of green, brown and black. He imagined it was for camouflage. Time would tell. Either way, he was beginning to get tired of being told what to do all the time. It was like being back in boarding school.
Steven tried to focus on what Jensen was saying. He was listening; it was just a lot to take in.
‘To your left and right are the accommodation blocks. The senior members of our community are entitled to the bigger rooms. Obviously, we get the smallest. The teaching rooms are on the second floor, that’s where we’re headed.’ He grinned, as if hiding a secret.
‘Teaching rooms?’ Steven groaned. He was sure none of their teaching would interest him.
‘I’m sure you had th
em back where you come from. In our case, it’s where we prepare for the change. School is school after all, no matter where you are.’
Steven’s lips twitched as he suppressed a smile. It amused him to think anyone actually had a sense of humour here.
‘We learn about a range of subjects. I can’t really explain them all to you now. You’ll have to learn as you go. Other than this, we lead normal lives as you would outside, I mean, in your world,’ he paused, as if undecided. With a casual look around, Jensen leant in and whispered, ‘By the way, what’s it like in your world?’
The question made Steven stop short and frown. As if they were in on a conspiracy, he whispered back, ‘Totally different to here. I’d say it’s more complicated by the look of things. Things here are a lot more…simple here.’
‘More complicated, jeez, I don’t know if I could handle that. Hang on a minute, are you calling us simple?’ Jensen’s voice got louder. He did not sound aggressive, just amused.
‘No, not simple, that’s a bad choice of word. It’s hard to explain, I don’t know.’ Steven ruffled his hair with his hand for a moment and then looked up to continue. ‘It’s like, here you don’t have to follow the normal rules of society, you make your own – like for example not having to use money. It blows my mind.’
In an ominous voice, Jensen added, ‘You forgot the part about having restricted movements, being contained to this site, and having to apply for vacation time. Not forgetting the fact that you are only eligible for a vacation, with a chaperon, five years after you change.’
Steven felt his last shred of hope disappear. Five years. That was too long. Way too long. ‘Does that mean that you’ve never left this place?’
‘Yes,’ Jensen replied, as he shrugged his shoulders. He did not seem bothered about it. Perhaps he had a reason to like being within the community. Steven bet he had a girl. A girl made all the difference.
‘So, effectively, this is almost like a civilised jail?’
Jensen laughed aloud, ‘You got it in one. I think we’ll be friends, alright – you’re sharp. I can do with someone like you to teach me the ropes. Someday, I’ll brave it outside. There’s no hurry, right?’
The Evolution Trilogy: Hybrid, Complications & Return Page 20